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New York City Subway rolling stock (mtamaster edition)
The New York City Subway is a large rapid transit system and has a large fleet of rolling stock. Overview As of July 2014, there are approximately 7,424 cars on the NYCT roster. A typical revenue train consists of 8 to 10 cars, although shuttles can be as short as two, and the 7 runs 11-car trains. Train lengths range from about 150 to 600 feet (46 to 183 m) long. As a general rule, trains on A Division lines inherited from the IRT (designated with numbers, plus the 42nd Street Shuttle) are shorter and narrower than those that operate on B Division lines inherited from BMT/IND (designated with letters). The A Division and B Division trains operate only in their own division; operating in the other division is not allowed. This is mainly because the IRT sections have narrower tunnel segments, tighter curves, and tighter platform clearances than the BMT/IND sections. IRT Division trains would have an unacceptably large gap between the platform and train if they were allowed in the BMT/IND Division. Likewise, BMT/IND trains would not fit in the IRT tunnels and stations. The safety train stop (trip cock) mechanism between divisions is also incompatible, being located on opposite sides of the track and train in each division. Service and maintenance trains are composed of IRT sized cars, which do not carry passengers, and can operate on either division as the safety train stop is built on both sides of the trucks. However, all rolling stock, in either A or B Division, runs on the same 4 ft 8.5 in (1.44 m) gauge. The system maintains two separate fleets of cars, one for the IRT lines, another for the BMT/IND lines. All BMT/IND equipment is about 10 feet (3.05 m) wide and either 60 feet 6 inches (18.44 m), 67 feet (20.42 m) or 75 feet 6 inches (23.01 m) long whereas IRT equipment is approximately 8 feet 9 inches (2.67 m) wide and 51 feet (15.54 m) long. There is also a special fleet of BMT/IND cars, used for operation in the BMT Eastern Division, which is the J, L, M and Z trains. The BMT Eastern Division has sharper curves and shorter platforms, so these trains can only use eight 60-foot (18.29 m) long cars. As of July 2014, R32 and R42 married pairs along with R143 and R160A four-car sets are assigned to the BMT Eastern Division. 75-foot (22.86 m) long cars, like the R44s, R46s, R68s, and R68As are not permitted on BMT Eastern Division trackage. Cars purchased by the City of New York since the inception of the IND and for the other divisions beginning in 1948 are identified by the letter "R" followed by a number; e.g.: R32. This number is the contract number under which the cars were purchased. Cars with nearby contract numbers (e.g.: R1 through R9, or R21 through R36 WF, or R143 through R179) may be virtually identical, simply being purchased under different contracts. When the R44s and R46s were rebuilt, the rollsigns on the side of the cars were replaced with electronic LCD signs while the front service sign remained as a rollsign. In sharp contrast, the rebuilt R32s, R38s, and R39s retained rollsigns on the sides, but an LCD display was placed in the front. The MTA has been incorporating newer subway cars into its stock in the past decade. Since 1992, the R110s, R111s, R142s, R143s, R160As, R160Bs, R179, and R188 have been added into service. All cars built since 1992, are equipped with digital signs on the front, sides, and interior. The R111 and the next gen R211 car's front digital sign shows the route in a similar matter of an R68 while other front digital signs are red only with a circle (or diamond for an express 6 or 7) around the route similar to the R32. Old cars, some from the original companies (IRT and BMT), are preserved at the New York Transit Museum, while others have been sold to private individuals, rail and trolley museums. Between 1984 and 1989 some of the IRT and a handful of BMT trains were painted red, giving them the name Redbirds. Since then, all of these cars have been replaced by more modern subway trains (R110/R111/R142/R143) between 1995 and 2004. As of September 2010, older BMT/IND cars have been retired and replaced with the R160s. General Overhaul Program The General Overhaul Program (GOH) was a mid-life overhaul program for neglected subway cars which involved thorough rebuilding of the fleet. Since the completion of the GOH program, the new Scheduled Maintenance System (SMS) program has replaced the GOH program by ensuring that trains do not reach a state in which they would need such an overhaul. The car types which were part of the MTA NYCT GOH program are the Redbirds (R26, R27, R28, R29, R30, R33, R33 WF, R36, R36 WF) and the Budd built R39s, as well as several older IND/BMT cars (R32, R38, R40, R40A, R40M, R42, R44 and R46). These cars were rebuilt between 1985 and 1992. Some cars in other classes including the R10s were also given lighter overhauls during this period. "R"-prefixed orders The New York City Board of Transportation settled on a system of documentation that is still in place under MTA New York City Transit. This included a prefix letter or letters that indicated the Department that the specific documentation, followed by a series of numbers of a length defined by the specific department concerned. For example, the Surface Department used the letter "S", while the Rapid Transit Department used the letter "R". A new R number is assigned for any vehicle purchase involving a bidding process. Since the 1970s the system has suffered from "R inflation" going through only 46 R numbers in its first 40 years, but over 114 in its subsequent 30. Possible reasons include an increased number of specialized maintenance vehicles that were previously made in house or a lower floor for requiring a formal bidding process in order to reduce waste and abuse. The Staten Island Rapid Transit also uses the R prefix for its rolling stock even though it is not part of the New York City Subway. Current Fleet Future fleet Retired Fleet